Definitions

from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition.

  • intransitive verb To feel strong or immoderate desire for (that which is another's).
  • intransitive verb To wish for (something) longingly. synonym: desire.
  • intransitive verb To covet that which is another's.

from The Century Dictionary.

  • To desire or wish for with eagerness; desire earnestly to obtain or possess: in a good sense.
  • To desire inordinately or without due regard to the rights of others; wish to gain possession of in an unlawful way; long for, as that which it is unlawful to obtain or possess.
  • Synonyms and To long for, hanker after, aspire to.
  • To lust after.
  • To have or indulge inordinate desire.

from the GNU version of the Collaborative International Dictionary of English.

  • transitive verb To wish for with eagerness; to desire possession of; -- used in a good sense.
  • transitive verb To long for inordinately or unlawfully; to hanker after (something forbidden).
  • intransitive verb To have or indulge inordinate desire.

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License.

  • verb transitive To wish for with eagerness; to desire possession of, often enviously.
  • verb transitive To long for inordinately or unlawfully; to hanker after (something forbidden).
  • verb intransitive To yearn, have or indulge inordinate desire, notably for another's possession.

from WordNet 3.0 Copyright 2006 by Princeton University. All rights reserved.

  • verb wish, long, or crave for (something, especially the property of another person)

Etymologies

from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 4th Edition

[Middle English coveiten, from Old French coveitier, from covitie, desire, from Latin cupiditās, from cupidus, desirous, from cupere, to desire.]

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License

from Middle English coveiten, from Old French covoiter (modern convoiter), from covoitié ("desire"), presumably modified from Latin cupiditas.

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Examples

Comments

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  • A word doesn't have to be long or fancy to be wonderful. Covet is a great word. It rolls off the tongue with wonderful ease and has an enticing and vaguely puerile sound to it.

    August 7, 2008

  • I agree with you 100%, EsotericWench!

    August 7, 2008

  • You covet but you cannot get what you want, so you quarrel and fight. James 4:2.

    December 15, 2010